Human rights: Lanka in talks with international community

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is still in talks with the international community to prevent an external probe on human rights violations, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said.

Rajapakshe said that the government is hopeful that a domestic truth-seeking mechanism with honesty unlike on previous occasions will help Sri Lanka secure its place in the international community amidst its ongoing currency crisis .

On Oct. 6, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) recently passed a tough new resolution on “promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights” in Sri Lanka, the organisation’s latest attempt to hold the state accountable for human rights violations alleged to have taken place in the final phase of a brutal 26-year with the separatist Tamil Tigers.

The resolution, passed with 20 countries voting in its favour, also makes reference to the country’s prevailing currency crisis and calling for a probe on financial crimes that led to it.

“We are negotiating with them and we are trying to work out a domestic mechanism and I think if we can accelerate that process and show some results the international community will cooperate with us,” said Rajapakshe.

“I spoke to several countries that sponsored the resolution, and we have got some indication they are okay with that if we show proper results.

“They have not officially communicated that, but there are some indications of their willingness,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has maintained that the resolution is “unfair” and that it’s against the constitution to allow an external evidence gathering mechanism, as recommended.